TBT VIDEO SPECIAL: Daytona 500 Was Literally Held On the Beach, Had Very Few Safety Devices

Top speeds barely exceeded 100 mph

ABOVE VIDEO:The 1952 Nascar Daytona Beach Race was literally held on the beach with very few safety devices. This is color footage of the 1952 Daytona Beach race and a driver named Jimmy Johnson was part of the action.

When NASCAR began racing in Daytona Beach in the 1940s, there was no concern about drafting or restrictor plates. It wasn’t on the 2.5-mile super speedway all fans are familiar with today.

The inaugural race was a road course that included trekking across the sand on the World’s Most Famous Beach and the parallel State Road A1A. Top speeds barely exceeded 100 miles per hour.

The most treacherous part of the track was the corner exiting the pavement onto the beach near the start/finish line.

The 1952 Nascar Daytona Beach Race was literally held on the beach with very few safety devices.